Pith
by thestrengthofacherryblossom
Summary: "This is the only way to save everyone . . . and only I . . . only I can do it. I . . . I don't know if I can do it, but . . . but I swore when I cut my hair . . . I made a solemn oath that I would never cave again . . . I swore that they would watch my back . . . Well, now . . . they will see more than my back." (AU, Strong!Sakura, Time Travel Fic, T to be safe)
1. Sakura Haruno's jutsu

**Full description: Pith _noun_ \- the essence of something or someone  
** ** _"This is the only way to save everyone . . . and only I . . . only I can do it. I . . . I don't know if I can do it, but . . . but I swore when I cut my hair . . . I made a solemn oath that I would never cave again . . . I swore that they would watch my back . . . Well, now . . . they will see more than my back."  
_** **The Fourth Shinobi World War is raging, has been for several years now. So many people have died, and Sakura Haruno is sick of it. She has lost too many people she loves, and she will do anything to protect those that she has left.  
Now, with Naruto and Sasuke ready to work together to defeat Madara and Obito, it seems that the day that the War will be over is close at hand. But, then, something changes, and the two are determined to kill each other at the appearance of Kaguya Otsutsuki.  
But Sakura cannot allow that, and so she does what no one else is willing to do, dying in the process.  
However, she receives a chance to go back and fix history, one that she accepts.  
And the world will never be the same.**

 **(Previously known as _Ripples in Spring)_**

 **Okay, so I know that I have to work on _Spring_ , but ohmysweetbabyJesus! This story idea has got me really excited!**

 **I've always wanted to try my hand at a Time-Travel Fic, but I've never really had the inspiration necessary to get the idea off the ground. Then I was trying to sleep one night, and boom! Insta-idea.**

 **Now, it is in a universe very similar to the one in _Spring_ , as I might have mentioned before. The Haruno Clan is the same, as are many of the other details. However, as Sakura is coming from the future, there will be a _HELL_ of a lot of changes - both in canon and herself. _Spring_ relies heavily on the AU, but _Pith_ even more so. You have been WARNED.**

 **Below is a list of the jutsu that Sakura uses, and will use, in the fanfiction. A lot of jutsu are copied directly from _Spring_ , so that's why it probably looks awfully familiar. Either way, let's get this show on the road!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto_ , as I'm sure you've realized by now - which means that I don't own Sakura Haruno, either (obviously, 'cause if I did, she would be a fucking _badass_ by now). A lot of the jutsu below are not mine, but the ones marked with a * are. Please don't steal the jutsu I created.**

 **Warning: AU! AU! AU! This story is VERY AU. If you don't want to read about Sakura going back in time and fixing mistakes and changing her (and others') life (lives) along the way, then you're probably going to _HATE_ this fanfiction - 'cause that's pretty much all it is. I just hope it's unique enough it will stand out from the crowd of other Time-Travel Fics involving Sakura.**

 **And, let's go! Shannaro!**

* * *

 ** _Pith_**

* * *

 **Sakura Haruno's Jutsu**

* * *

 **Taijutsu**

 **-Chakra Enhanced Strength  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, Chakra Enhanced Strength is "_** ** _a technique where the user focuses chakra into their hands and feet using precise chakra control and releases it with pinpoint timing."_** **  
**

 **-Cherry Blossom Impact  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, Cherry Blossom Impact is a technique unique to Sakura Haruno (except in video games), in which she kneads chakra within herself and then amasses it into her fist. She, then, punches the ground, releasing the chakra and forming an enormous crater - the ground shattering into pieces like the scattering of flower petals._  
**

 **-Full Blossom: Cherry Blossom Impact  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, Full Blossom: Cherry Blossom Impact is a taijutsu technique derived from Cherry Blossom Impact in which Sakura builds up chakra in her fist, then strikes her opponent in the abdomen while releasing the chakra - therefore crushing them into the ground and shattering the ground around them, too. It also looks like flower petals, except for the dead body in the middle._  
**

 **-Blossoming Heaven Kick*  
 _This taijutsu technique is designed after Tsunade's Heavenly Foot of Pain in that Sakura leaps (or is thrown) into the air and directs herself downwards, towards her target. She performs a falling axe kick, building up chakra in her heel and releasing it once she is in contact with the ground. However, when Sakura performs this technique, the ground shatters in the formation of a cherry blossom - even without her attempting to manipulate it, thereby inspiring the name._  
**

 **-Blossoming Heaven Kick of Pain*  
 _This technique is derived from the Blossoming Heaven Kick, except that Sakura will build up more chakra and perform a kick. She will often build up chakra in the ball of her foot, as that is where she directs the most pressure, but she is known to line the whole of her foot and leg with chakra and perform a roundhouse kick._**

 **-Cherry Blossom Shield*  
 _This is a defensive taijutsu technique in which Sakura reaches into the ground, fortifying her strength with chakra, and pulls out a portion of the earth to form a barrier between her and whatever is coming at her. She can also fortify the shield with chakra, causing it to glow a light pink - like her hair._  
**

 **-Twin Cherry Blossom Impact*  
 _This taijutsu technique is derived from Sakura's ninjutsu/fūinjutsu technique, Forbidden Spiral: Twin Sakura Technique, in that she manifests a form for her Inner Sakura and then the two proceed to perform the Cherry Blossom Impact together._  
**

 **-Twin Full Blossom: Cherry Blossom Impact*  
 _This taijutsu technique is derived from both Forbidden Spiral: Twin Sakura Jutsu and Twin Cherry Blossom Impact. Sakura and her Inner, now manifested in a physical form, perform the Full Blossom: Cherry Blossom Impact together, either striking multiple targets or the same target at the same time._  
**

 **-Twin Blossoming Heaven Kick*  
 _This is (another) taijutsu technique (duh!) in which, using the Forbidden Spiral: Twin Sakura Jutsu, both Sakura perform the Blossoming Heaven Kick._  
**

 **-Twin Blossoming Heaven Kick of Pain*  
 _This taijutsu technique is performed by the use of the Forbidden Spiral: Twin Sakura Jutsu, in which that the two Sakura both perform the Blossoming Heaven Kick of Pain._  
**

* * *

 **Ninjutsu** **  
**

 **-Transformation Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is an E-Rank ninjutsu in which the user uses chakra to transform themselves into something else - often another person, but they might also transform into animals, plants, and inanimate objects such as weapons._  
**

 **-Clone Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is an E-Rank ninjutsu that creates one or more intangible copies of the user. The copies are easily distinguishable from the original, as they do not cast shadows or disrupt their surroundings, but this technique may be useful depending on the user's ability to think of ways to use it._  
**

 **-Shadow Clone Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a B-rank supplementary ninjutsu in which the user creates a clone. However, the clones are solid, tangible beings, able to move and fight like the original. The user's chakra is evenly distributed amongst the clones, therefore causing users (except for Naruto Uzumaki) to risk chakra exhaustion by overusing this technique._  
**

 **-Body Replacement Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is an E-Rank ninjutsu in which the user replaces themselves with another object, usually a log. This is generally performed in order to escape an attack that would be fatal, should it land. It creates an optical illusion, leading the opponent to believe their attack landed - thus allowing the user the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. This jutsu is, in part, derived from the Body Flicker Technique._  
**

 **-Body Flicker Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a D-Rank ninjutsu in which the user uses their chakra to propel them at nearly untraceable speeds. The user may use this technique to traverse short to long distances, and often, they will disguise their movements with a poof of smoke or some other material - such as Gaara and his sand, Sai and his ink, and Kakashi with leaves._  
**

 **-Cloak of Invisibility Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is an E-rank ninjutsu in which the user uses a cloak or some cloth and uses it to blend into their surroundings, thus becoming "invisible."_  
**

 **-Rope Escape Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is an E-Rank ninjutsu that allows ninja to free themselves when they have been tied up._  
**

 **-Chakra Transfer Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a supplementary ninjutsu in which the user transfers their chakra to one or more targets._**

 **-Summoning Jutsu [Slug, Lion, Falcon]  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a space-time ninjutsu that allows the user to transport animals, or people, across long distances and uses blood as a sacrifice._  
**

 **-Katsuyu: Immense Healing Network  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a cooperation ninjutsu used by Katsuyu and its summoner using the link shared via the Strength of a Hundred Seal._  
**

 **-Forbidden Spiral: Twin Sakura Jutsu*  
 _This is a mixture of ninjutsu and f_** ** _ūinjutsu, in which Sakura uses a mixture of seals and chakra in order to create a physical form for her Inner Sakura and then, with her Inner performing the hand-signs at the same time, transfers her Inner's consciousness to the physical form, thus allowing the two to perform powerful combo attacks._** **  
**

* * *

 **Genjutsu**

 **To Be Added**

* * *

 **Medical Ninjutsu**

 **-Mystical Palm Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a medical ninjutsu that requires extremely precise chakra control and allows the user to speed up the body's natural healing process by sending chakra from their hands into the wound they are attempting to heal._  
**

 **-Chakra Scalpel  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a medical ninjutsu that forms the user's chakra into a small, sharp blade that, then, allows them to use to make accurate surgical incisions necessary for either surgery or anatomical dissections._  
**

 **-Delicate Illness Extraction Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a medical ninjutsu that is considered to be an extremely difficult technique, even among medical-nins, due to the sheer amount of precise chakra control that is necessary to perform it. This medical ninjutsu is used to extract poisons or toxins from a person and then heal the damage, through first assessing the patient and then making a small incision with a Chakra Scalpel near the afflicted part. Using their chakra, the medical-nin will push a large volume of medicinal fluid through the incision and draw the poison into it. They will, then, pull the poison out and use the traces to create an antidote with which to completely nullify the traces of toxins still left in the patient's body._  
**

* * *

 **Kinjutsu**

 **-Creation Rebirth  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a technique that is heralded as the absolute pinnacle of medical ninjutsu and the ultimate regeneration technique. However, it is a double-edged sword in that as it causes cells to divide rapidly, because every person only has a set amount of cells, this technique basically shortens the user's life-span. This technique is derived from Yin Seal: Release._  
**

 **-Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth - Strength of a Hundred Jutsu  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a forbidden technique derived from Creation Rebirth in that the user has continuous healing without conscious effort on their part. However, unlike Creation Rebirth, the markings cover the user's entire body, and Tsunade claims this technique is so powerful only medical-nin who have mastered it are allowed to break the other three rules she has set for them._  
**

* * *

 **Fūinjutsu**

 **-Strength of a Hundred Seal  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a seal which is reputed to be the pinnacle of chakra control. The user stores vast amounts of chakra over an extended period of time into a specific point of their body, usually the forehead, which, then, creates a rhombus-shaped seal. This technique is the parent technique of Yin Seal: Release, Creation Rebirth, and Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth - Strength of a Hundred Jutsu._  
**

 **-Yin Seal: Release  
 _According to Naruto Wikia, this is a f_ _ūinjutsu technique derived from the Strength of a Hundred Seal that allows the user to release any amount of chakra by dispersing the seal and spreading the stored chakra back around their body. This jutsu is the parent technique of Creation Rebirth and Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth - Strength of a Hundred Jutsu_ _._**

 **-Forbidden Spiral: Twin Sakura Jutsu*  
 _This is a mixture of ninjutsu and f_** ** _ūinjutsu, in which Sakura uses a mixture of seals and chakra in order to create a physical form for her Inner Sakura and then, with her Inner performing the hand-signs at the same time, transfers her Inner's consciousness to the physical form, thus allowing the two to perform powerful combo attacks._**

* * *

 **And we're done!**

 **The first chapter should be coming soon, but if it doesn't, I'm REALLY sorry.**

 **Ja ne!**

 **~thestrengthofacherryblossom**


	2. Prologue - Part I: Death

**Hadaal726: Thank you, both for the advice and for the compliment. I'm sorry if it bothered you. :/  
: Thanks! Here's the next chapter! ;)**

 **Welcome back, everyone, to the next chapter of _Pith_** **. Now, if everything goes to plan, this chapter should get out relatively soon after I have started this, but even if it does happen, I would just like to warn anyone who's actually reading my story that you guys shouldn't get used to speedy updates; they don't happen often, if ever at all.**

 **Either way, I'm here now!**

 **Disclaimer: I, thestrengthofacherryblossom, do not own _Naruto_. So, therefore, I do not own Sakura Haruno. However, I _do_ own everything that is AU in this story - except for, maybe, the parts that were inspired by other fanfictions and where I use different characters to my advantage. Either way, I do own some things in this story - just not very many. :/**

 **Warning(s): AU! AU! AU! SERIOUSLY, IT'S AU! IF YOU DO NOT LIKE ALTERNATE-UNIVERSE FANFICTIONS, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU LEAVE NOW! IF YOU DECIDE TO STAY, CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED! ALSO, YOU MAY NEED A TISSUE. JUST . . . JUST KNOW THAT.**

 **Let's get this party started! Shannaro!**

* * *

 _ **Pith**_

* * *

 **Prologue  
 _Death and Rebirth_**

 **Part I: Death**

* * *

 _"In which  
Sakura Haruno finally succeeds  
at breaking up her teammates' fight -  
in the worst way possible."_

* * *

A song-bird, dainty and small with dark feathers and a cream underbelly, flutters through the pastel blue skies, its only companions a few small, puffy white clouds. The tiny bird is soaring, enveloped in a peaceful world of gentle gusts of wind and soft colors. But below, the world is not so peaceful.

A battlefield rages.

Two blurs, two figures, flash in and out of visible sight. They clash for a few seconds, exchange a few blows, and then flash out of sight. Rinse. Repeat.

Up on the very top of a nearby cliff, overlooking the valley, a pink-haired kunoichi waits, staring anxiously, worried sick, down at the battle before her as she twists her hands together. She's slender, with a girlish face and figure that teeters on the brink of developed womanhood, and wears a pastel green flak jacket over the top of her dark, skin-tight clothing. She is smeared with dirt and flecks of dried blood are speckled across her, matching the haunted look in her eyes.

"Naruto and Sasuke are still at it," she murmurs, her voice mature and strong - though now hesitant and trembling.

Her companion, the man standing beside her, hums in acknowledgement and possible agreement. He is lanky and lean, with pale skin that hides rippling muscles and tall, silvery gray hair rising in spikes tilted slightly to the left. His posture is relaxed, hunched over slightly with his hands jammed into his pockets, but his one visible eye, stormy obsidian, reveals her tense frustration with the situation. "Mm-hm."

The girl gives the man a side glance, her spring green eyes full of deep despair colored by frustration with her companion's nonchalance. "Can't you stop them, Kakashi-sensei?" she asks, her tone filling with a frigid bite of anger that rivals her master's.

The man, Kakashi Hatake, looks at her morosely, unaffected by her icy tone. "There's nothing I could do, Sakura," he replies smoothly, his low tenor somehow free of emotions. "There's nothing either one of us can do. Those two will continue fighting until one of them is _dead_."

Sakura flinches at the word, despite her profession, and looks down at her hands, trembling wildly.

Suddenly, a mature, sweet voice whispers, with a surprising amount of conviction, inside her head, _That cannot happen._

She freezes. _'Inner?'_

But the voice does not reply.

"They're going to kill each other," she whispers, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes as the two blurs separate, forming into two distinct figures. One dark-haired, wearing a light violet shirt and baggy gray pants. One blonde, wearing an orange and black jumpsuit. Her teammates. Her boys.

 _That cannot happen_ , the voice repeated, its tone insistent. _This world cannot survive without them._

"Without them, we're all dead," she murmurs lowly, her eyes clouding over as she finds herself unable to tear her gaze away from her teammates' as they reengage.

Kakashi nods in agreement, his eyes shutting languidly - as if the sight of two of his students actively trying to kill each other while the third looks on and prays to Kami-sama for a way to stop them is of no real importance to him. "Yeah, probably," he says, his tone uninterested and bored - as if he doesn't care that so many are doomed to die without the two.

 _You have to stop them,_ the voice insists, and Sakura nods slowly, mindlessly. _Only you can._

 _'How?'_ she questions, her thoughts slow and sluggish.

 _In the way that only you can . . . I'm sorry, but . . . you cannot survive this one. Good luck._

An image appears in her mind, and she is slammed back into reality, gasping for breath with her hands braced against her knees for support.

Slowly, she looks up, her bright green eyes glowing with determination. _'I know what I have to do now . . . Only **I** can fix this.'_

Sasuke and Naruto separate, their eyes gleaming with blood-lust. "This is the last attack!" they scream together, and both begin to gather chakra for a jutsu.

Sparks of electricity gather in Sasuke's hand, the shrill sound of a thousand birds chirping in unison echoing in the valley - bouncing off of the many rock faces and somehow increasing in volume.

A spiraling ball of bright blue chakra forms in Naruto's hand, the sound of rushing wind attempting to drown out the sound of birds.

The two begin to charge at one another, intent on killing each other.

Kakashi, who has been watching the two boys fight to the death, turns to look at Sakura at the sound of something hitting the ground. When he sees her, he is stunned.

Sakura has taken off her weights and dumped them in a pile at her feet, and she is now unzipping her flak jacket that marks her as a chūnin.

"What are you doing?" the jōnin asks, curious and praying for it to be nothing, but he has a sinking feeling in his stomach that is only made worse when Sakura looks up at him, a baleful, mournful yet resolute expression set on to her face - her emerald eyes like stony, flint chips of brilliant green ice, full of cold, unswaying determination.

"Saving everyone," she replies simply, allowing the dark green flak jacket, streaked with dirt and stained with splotches of dried blood from her all of her years as a battlefield-medic in the Fourth Great Ninja War, pool around her feet.

"Sakura -" Kakashi starts, but he is cut off by the pink-haired kunoichi placing her hand on the back of his neck and releasing a surge of chakra that rips through his system and leaves him unable to stand.

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei," she says, smiling wryly and sounding wholly unapologetic, "but I can't have you interfering this time."

She turns to face her teammates, both drawing ever closer to killing the other, and she bounces on the balls of her feet. "I have to time this just right, or they won't snap out of it," she mumbles, more to herself than anyone else - not that there's really anyone left to listen. There's only Kakashi, but . . .

 _This is the only way to save everyone . . ._

She takes a deep breath, biting her lip as she waits for her time.

 _. . . and only I . . ._

She thinks, then, thinks of everything she's giving up.

 _. . . only **I** can do it._

She won't survive this.

 _I . . ._

She _can't_ survive this.

 _. . ._ _I don't know if I can do it, but . . ._

She's already made all of the calculations in her head.

 _. . . but I swore when I cut my hair . . ._

And she knows Kakashi has, too.

 _. . . I made a solemn oath that I would never cave again . . ._

A Rasengan to the ribs - likely lungs, too.

 _. . . I would never give up . . ._

A Chidori to the ribs - likely lungs and possibly heart, too.

 _. . . never be cowardly . . ._

There's just no coming back after that.

 _. . . never cry . . ._

Even if she had Shishou's Strength of a Hundred Seal.

 _. . . and do nothing about it . . ._

She's going to die.

 _But . . ._

But . . .

 _. . . I swore that they would watch my back . . ._

She looks down at her sensei, begging her with sad, mournful eyes, pleading her to reconsider her decision. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," she says honestly, wiping a tear away.

"Sakura . . ." he murmurs hoarsely, and she smiles without joy, without happiness.

"Thank you for everything."

 _Well, now . . ._

She turns, and Kakashi stares at the white Haruno circle emblazoned between her shoulder blades helplessly. He watches as she shakes, trembling in fear, watches as she forces the terror away and squares her shoulders.

 _Now . . ._

"Tell . . ." Her voice cracks, and she swallows her sobs. "Tell Naruto and Sasuke that I love them, okay?"

 _Now . . ._

"Tell them I'm sorry."

 _Now . . . they will see **more** than my back._

She turns, and Kakashi stares in disbelief at the genuine smile on her face. "Tell them I forgive them." She bends down and kisses the top of his head. "That goes for you, too, sensei," she whispers, her warm breath pushing the silky silver strands of his hair down with its weight. "Don't blame yourself. None of this is your fault."

"But . . ." He attempts to protest, but she presses her index finger against his masked lips to shush him.

"No buts, sensei," she says, doing her best to stay brave for his sake, but a few silvery tears slip through her strong facade, sliding down her cheeks - chiseled and sculpted by war. "This is my decision, my sacrifice. This is me, being brave. This is me, protecting the lives of my comrades. This is me, doing what I was taught to do and saving my loved ones in the process."

She chokes on a sob. "Besides," she says, forcing a watery smile as her lips quiver, "no one really needs me here; I'll just get in the way. So help the boys, save the world; don't let me hold you back."

Kakashi is about to open his mouth and protest her words, tell her exactly how many people need her, how many people she has saved, how she has never, _never_ held anyone back _ever_ , but Sakura just shushes him again, smiling sadly.

"Everything you're about to say . . . I already know. But who knows?" She pulls away, lifting her head to stare at the sky. "Maybe I'll meet everyone again, in the next life."

A single, gleaming tear slowly snakes its way down her cheek, and Kakashi forces himself, forces his unresponsive body to listen - and his palm cups her cheek, his thumb gently wiping the tear away.

She looks down at him, then, her emerald green eyes sparkling with unshed tears, and she presses a quick kiss to his inner wrist. "Thank you," she breathes against his skin, repeating her previous words. "Thank you for _everything_ , Kakashi-sensei."

He forces his head to shake in disagreement. "No, Sakura - thank _you_. You've long since surpassed me."

She understands what he's saying, and she nods, taking his hand and draping it over himself. Her eyes close, tears dewing on her lashes, and as she stands, they fly away, catching the light and making it look, for once, as though it was all just a dream.

She stands, her back facing him, and it is all he can do not to gape at her. She has filled out in all the years the war has waged, her shoulders becoming broader, her shoulders and arms rippling with thick cords of muscle. The white Haruno circle, the one he'd always thought of as tacky and made her an easy target, it seems almost like a banner of hope - a gleaming, polished thing that kept shining, even as others did their best to snuff it out. Almost like her, he realizes.

Throughout the ears, so many have done their best to shatter Sakura; even life seemed to be against her at some points, but every single time he thought she had been dealt too horrible a card, had fallen too far, she would just stand back up and fight back twice as hard as before.

But now . . . now she won't be able to stand back up after this one. They both know it.

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori!"

Sakura smiles wryly.

 _3 . . ._

Her teammates charge at each other, both holding their jutsu out in preparation to pierce one another through and end their rivalry. For good.

 _2 . . ._

"You'll tell them that I forgive them, won't you?" Sakura asks without turning back. "Tell them this was my choice. Tell them I don't want them to insult my memory by fighting; I just want them to be friends and to be . . . _happy_."

"Of course," Kakashi says solemnly, doing his best to nod.

 _1 . . ._

She disappears in a flurry of cherry blossom petals, leaving only a drifting whisper and a distant fragrance behind. _"Good-bye, Kakashi . . ."_

Naruto and Sasuke thrust forward, fully expecting their attacks to collide and cancel each other out.

 _0._

But their hands meet flesh.

Blood splatters everywhere, in copious amounts. The sickening sound of ruptured organs and blood squishing and sloshing together, the scent of blood - bitter and metallic, fills the air.

Neither of the boys are harmed, but when they look down, to see who they have stabbed through, they decide as one that having killed each other would have been better.

Because held in their arms, their hands buried inside her chest, brushing up against her slowing heart, puncturing her lungs, is the one person they never wanted to drag into their battles.

Blood trickles down Sakura's chin, and she is shaking terribly - but, still, she somehow manages to smile, relief clear in her slowly clouding eyes.

"Naruto . . . Sasuke . . ." she gasps out, beginning to choke on the blood filling her lungs. Trembling hands find their cheeks, cupping them and smearing crimson across their skin. "I'm glad . . ." She gives a gurgling cough, and Naruto and Sasuke both watch in collective horror as more of her blood spills on to the ground at their feet. "I'm glad you're both okay."

Then all of her strength leaves her, and she goes limp as the light of her life is snuffed out.

She falls back, and the sound of her body hitting the ground seems to ring in everyone's ears.

 _"Sakura!"_


	3. Prologue - Part II: Rebirth

**Strayedwolf94: Awesome! :D Hope you enjoy it!  
Sunny ver 2.0: Aw, thanks. And I'm sorry about that, though I'm honestly kind of happy that my writing can do that to somebody, y'know? :)  
fernandfeather: Thank you so much! I'm glad that you can envision what I'm trying to get across - that's what I try to do, and I'm glad that it works!  
Suzululu4moe: In order to end the Infinite Tsukuyomi and seal Kaguya, I'm pretty sure they did need Sasuke alive - but after that, he didn't really need to be alive anymore. I kinda wish he'd died, y'know? He just pissed me off.  
**

 **And I'm back!**

 **Welcome to the second part of the Prologue of _Pith_.**

 **You know, I'm really excited for this story. You guys probably have heard that a million times, but it's true. The plans I have for this story are incredibly exciting, and I can't wait to share this with you guys. :)**

 **Don't forget to vote for who you want Sakura-chan to end up with! It's all up to you guys, my dear Reader-chans!**

 **Well, now that that's said, let's get started, right?**

 **Disclaimer: I, thestrengthofacherryblossom, do not own _Naruto_. I don't own Sakura Haruno or Naruto Uzumaki or Sasuke Uchiha. But that's kind of obvious. I also don't own any of the inspiration I pulled from various sources, but I do own the pieces of AU plot and any characters you don't recognize from the original story. And that's good enough for me.**

 **Warning(s): AU. Did I mention that?**

 **And here we go!**

* * *

 _ **Pith**_

* * *

 **Prologue  
 _Death and Rebirth_  
**

 **Part II: Rebirth**

* * *

 _"After dying at the hands of her friends,  
Sakura Haruno awakes in a new place,  
Faced with a choice.  
A chance to fix it all."_

* * *

 _Sakura!_

She's falling.

 _Sakura!_

It's dark.

 _Sakura!_

She's alone . . .

 _Sakura, wake up!_

Falling.

 _Come on, Sakura!_

Always . . .

 _Heal yourself!_

Falling.

 _You can do it!_

Always . . .

 _You-You're not dead!_

Always . . .

 _You can't be dead!_

 **Always** . . .

 _I can't do this without you._

Falling.

 _Dammit! Sakura!_

But she never hits the ground.

 _She's gone._

She just . . .

 _Shut up! You don't know anything!_

Keeps . . .

 _Naruto . . . she's **gone**._

Falling.

 _No! No!_

She falls slowly . . .

 _This is all your fault, Sasuke!_

All alone in the darkness.

 _. . . It's the both of us. We're both at fault._

She can't feel or see anything.

 _S-Sakura . . .!_

But she can hear voices.

 _I never thought . . ._

Two . . .

 _I never meant for her to be hurt._

Familiar . . .

 _Not her._

Voices.

 ** _Never_** _her._

She knows those voices.

 _SAKURA!_

"Of course you do."

 _She **can't** hear you, Naruto. She's **gone**._

"Who . . .?"

 _God, please . . ._

"Open your eyes."

 _Not **her**._

She forces her eyes open, and the voices fade away as her feet touch down on the ground. She is still standing in the darkness, but she, herself, is giving off a small glow. She looks down at her hands, turning them over and clenching and unclenching her fists. "Where am I?" she murmurs aloud, pressing her hands to her sides, where her teammates had run her through. There's nothing there but her dark blue turtleneck. "What happened?"

"Welcome to your mindscape," an unfamiliar but wholly womanly voice says in dulcet alto tones, and at the sound of the words she speaks, the darkness falls away..

Sakura is standing in a field. Tall, swaying grasses that come up to her knees surround her, topped with flowers in every pastel shade imaginable. Colorful butterflies flutter from flower to flower, their jewel-like wings in artistic contrast to the green covering the rolling hills of the meadow. The sky is a brilliant blue, and puffy, white clouds drift lazily across the pastel-hued expanses, as if almost put to sleep by the warm summer heat.

She turns in place, awed by the peaceful place. In the distance, she can see a few sakura trees drooping over a small stream, and even at the distance away she stands, she can hear the melody of the water rushing over the stones worn smooth by the silvery waters. Cherry blossom petals drift to the ground, some landing in the water and quickly being carried away. She can almost smell their fragrance, feel their satin petals smooth across her cheeks - carried on a gentle summer's breeze.

"Beautiful place, isn't it?" the same voice from before asks, and Sakura whirls around, adopting a defensive stance as instinct commands.

A few feet behind her stands a woman, dressed in flowing, white robes decorated with unfamiliar designs stitched in crimson. Her hair is long and white, falling to abut her hips even in its elegant French braid, and what look like two horns - or perhaps antlers - jut out from the top of her head. Her bangs are similar to Sakura's and Tsunade's, framing her face in low loops before being pulled upwards to join the braid, and there is a marking similar to Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal in the center of her forehead except it is in the shape of a cherry blossom and is spring green.

"Who are you?" Sakura asks, entirely ready to dodge and go on the defensive if the woman attacks - or the offensive if she doesn't.

But the woman just laughs gaily, the sound like he ringing of silver bells, and she smiles widely, revealing ivory teeth in perfect condition. "There's no need for any of that," the woman declares, as if reading Sakura's mind. "My name is Haruna Otsutsuki, and I have something to tell you, Sakura Haruno, that you must know."

* * *

"You're kidding," Sakura says, her mouth hanging ajar.

Haruna shakes her head, her braid swaying with her movements. "No, I'm not. And now that you're no longer in the land of the living, my mother cannot be sealed properly. She will will break free in another few years, and your friends will have to seal her again," she says, both her tone and expression grave. "This will continue until one side triumphs, and I am afraid to say this but . . . without you, it will be my mother who wins."

Sakura's expression becomes pained, and she sways in place, as if her legs are threatening to give out beneath her. "What can we do?" she asks, her delicate, arched brows knitting.

"I can send you back in time," Haruna replies, and it seems that the world stops on its axis.

The gentle breeze stops, the grasses stop rustling. Even the brook seems to bubble quieter than before.

"Send me back in time?" Sakura parrots, incredulous. "You can do that?"

Haruna nods. "It is a fairly simple concept, bending the time-space continuum to allow for time travel. It only becomes complicated when someone with little experiences attempts to actually perform such a feat, especially through seal-work. Seals are the least effective way to bend the time-space continuum," she explains. "Luckily, my brother and I developed a way to do it without using seals."

Sakura nods slowly, to show her understanding, but her expression remains perplexed. "Even if you send me back in time, what's the point? What am I supposed to do?" she asks, and the white-haired Otsutsuki smiles.

"As I have said before, Sakura Haruno, you were not supposed to die there, in that valley, in that war," she answers patiently, dutifully. "But my mother's faithful servant, Black Zetsu, has manipulated the entirety of human history to serve their purposes, and the world is no longer in Balance. I have chosen you, my descendant, as my champion, to right these grievous wrongs in history. Save those that were not meant to die, prevent the villains who were not meant to be so, prevent the destruction of that which was meant to remain whole. Save the world."

Sakura's eyes widen as she realizes the opportunity she has been given, but a shadow passes over her features and she narrows them again. "What's the catch?" she demands, and after a moment of passing shock, Haruna laughs.

"You and I," she says, smiling warmly, "it seems, are quite similar."

Sakura blinks in surprise but does not lessen up in her suspicion.

Haruna, recognizing the pinkette's need for answers, clears her throat and continues. "Ah, either way, there is no catch. Nothing bad will happen to you - or anyone you love as a result of this." She sighs. "Of course, I would not advise telling everyone that you are from the future; there is simply no telling what they will think or do. _But_ I also would not recommend that you tell no one either; don't keep this all to yourself - you will need someone to confide in."

Sakura relaxes, her expression smoothing and softening. "How will I change anything?" she asks, her expression turning pained and self-conscious.

Haruna's soft smile turns pitying, and her pale violet eyes become saddened. "Your kekkei genkai was sealed at birth," she replies, and the pinkette's jaw drops.

"Kekkei genkai?" she repeats, her eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline, and the Otsutsuki nods.

"Yes. The Haruno were once a formidable clan who had a powerful kekkei genkai known as the Chakra Style. It was said the most powerful Haruno could control all chakra without even thinking about it," she elaborates. "However, around the same time that the Uzumaki Clan was destroyed, the Haruno Clan's village was attacked. Very few survived." Her expression becomes mournful, and Sakura swallows hard. "And so . . . when you were born and showed signs of having the kekkei genkai, most of the Haruno DNA inside of you was sealed away - for your own protection."

There is a moment of silence, almost in honor of the dead, before Haruna continues.

"With your kekkei genkai sealed away, much of your potential as a kunoichi was stolen away from you." She stares straight at Sakura at this point, her expression insisting and her eyes truthful. "But do not mistake what I am telling you, Sakura Haruno. The cards were stacked against you; the odds were _never_ in your favor. And yet . . . yet you managed to surpass the strongest kunoichi of your time and stand tall against the combined forces of Obito Uchiha and a resurrected Madara Uchiha for _years_." Haruna smiles widely. "You have done more than I could have ever hoped for, and I am truly sorry to ask you to do more. But . . . it can only be you."

Sakura looks down at her trembling hands, the sound of her swallowing hard seeming almost deafening in the silence. She looks as though she's about to refuse, and just as Haruna is about to tell her that she doesn't have to, Sakura's hands tighten into fists and she looks up, her eyes glowing spring green with determination. A dark purple rhombus shimmers into existence on her forehead.

"I'll do it."


End file.
